When to test?

[Jacqstewlo]

Hi,

This is my first post and this is my first time ever using an online forum. I'm still reading lots of these posts and I feel I'm only at the tip of the iceberg. I'm so grateful there is somewhere to go to try to find a starting point with management of LC.

Last year I was diagnosed with LC, a hiatal hernia, and GERD. I did very little to manage my LC, in fact, my doctor told me to do nothing when I asked about diet, triggers, etc. He said just to medicate when needed. I'm now at at the point where I disagree with my doctor's singular approach, I need a more holistic approach. I need to figure out my food triggers and it appears that the EnteroLab stool test(s) can be quite helpful.

I plan to do Panel A1 + C1 but I have some questions before I take the test.

1 - I'm currently on 9mg of Budesonide. I will taper down month by month. Is it okay to take the test while on this prescription medication?
2 - I'm currently on day 12 of a no/very low FODMAP diet because, now that seems misguided after my recent reading. Is it okay to take the test when you have not ingested any dairy, gluten, soy, etc. recently? I want to make sure the test picks up on any sensitivities/intolerances and I'm not sure if it will if I haven't eaten them recently. I plan to change my diet after reading articles on this site, but the same question arises, is it okay to stool test when on a sort of elimination diet?
3 - I didn't see a stool test for herbs but do see that certain ones should be avoided when trying to get into remission. Is there a stool test for those or is it try it and see once you are in remission?

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you

Jacqui

[tex]

Hello Jacqui,

Welcome to the board. A budesonide treatment will eventually corrupt food sensitivity test results, because it slowly suppresses our immune system so that we cannot produce antibodies at a normal level. If you have been taking budesonide for 10 or 12 months or more, the Enterolab test results might yield some false negative results. If you've been taking it for only about 4 to 6 months, your results would probably be accurate. In between those times, your test result accuracy would probably depend on how effective budesonide is for you. We're all different in our responses to antiinflammatory medications such as the corticosteroids. The FODMAP diet wouldn't affect your test results unless you had been on it for many months.

If you've been on budesonide for a year a more, you would have to stop if for several months in order for your immune system to begin working normally again so that your test results would be reliable. If you phone or email EnteroLab, they can tell you how long you would need to be off budesonide before the tests will give accurate results. I might be wrong with my estimate because I base it on the efficacy of budesonide, rather than on the test performance parameters.

There is no stool test for herbs (that I'm aware of), but I would avoid them while I was trying to recover because herbs in general have a history of unacceptably high levels of adulteration and contamination (unless you grow your own). After you're in remission you can try them (one at a time) to verify that the brands that you are using are safe for you.

I hope this addresses your concerns. Again, welcome to the board, and please feel free to ask anything.

Tex

[Jacqstewlo]

Thanks, Tex

What a wealth of information. I have not been on Budesonide very long so it seems now is a good time to test.

Thank you, again.

Jacqui